Modern total stations typically have a compact and integrated construction, wherein usually in addition to the aiming and/or targeting apparatus, a distance measuring unit, which is laid out coaxially to the aiming and/or targeting apparatus, and also computer, control, and storage units are provided in a device. Furthermore, in general a motorization of the aiming and/or targeting apparatus is integrated. Total stations known from the prior art can furthermore have a radio data interface for establishing a radio connection to external peripheral components, for example, to a handheld data acquisition device, which can be designed in particular as a data logger or field computer.
A telescopic sight or an optical telescope is typically provided as the aiming and/or targeting apparatus. The telescopic sight is generally rotatable about a vertical pivot axis and a horizontal tilt axis in relation to a base of the total station, so that the telescope can be aligned on the point to be surveyed by pivoting about at least one of the two axes.
Scanning functionalities can additionally be integrated in total stations as auxiliary functions. The scanning functionality can be used, for example, to register the topography of an object or its surfaces, for example, those of a building. For this purpose, the object or its surface is scanned step-by-step using a laser beam of the distance measuring unit integrated in the total station. For every point targeted by the laser beam, the spatial position of the surface point is registered by measuring the distance to the surface point aimed at by way of the distance measuring unit and linking this measurement to the angle information of the laser emission.
Modern total stations have more rapid scanning functionalities in comparison to those devices of early generations, wherein more rapid and precise alignment of the aiming unit can be achieved using improved control motors (which are more rapidly activatable and act more rapidly, and are higher in performance). It is thus possible to register a plurality of points in a predefined scanning region in a relatively short time and to generate a corresponding point cloud.
Document US 2010/0070229 A1 discloses a total station having scanning functionality and a scanning method for surveying a scanning region of an object. The scanning method comprises the division of the scanning region into subregions adjacent to one another, wherein each subregion has a defined number of points to be surveyed. During the surveying of points in a new subregion, respective items of point information of at least one corresponding measuring point, which was surveyed in a previously surveyed, adjacent subregion, are used. In this manner, a high measurement precision and a rapid large-area surface survey are to be made possible.